The Power Within
by LittleDuckings
Summary: An ancient evil rises and threatens every being on planet Earth. The Rangers must find a way to stop the impending doom without use of their powers, and while trying to save Zordon. Will they be strong enough, or is this their final end? The Movie Adam/OC
1. Jumping In

A/N: This story takes places completely inside the timeline of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie with the addition of another Ranger. Her backstory is not reviewed in this story, but if you're really curious I may write it up later.

The plot will very closely follow the events of the original story of the movie, but with additional scenes added, and of course all taken from a different perspective.

Because I grew up with the show, I thought that it would be fun to do a story for other people who did the same, so the violence has been amped up and the Rangers are going to act a little more like teenagers than the did in the show.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or original plot that this story was based on; this is only my adaptation with notable changes.

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><p>The citizens of Angel Grove clustered around a colourful target laid out in front of them. Parents clutched the hands of their children tightly, reminding them not to get too close to the drop zone while the youngsters scanned the skies searching for anything that might resemble an incoming airplane. So far the charity event for the Angel Grove Observatory was a success. From the looks of things most of the city had turned out to watch the brave few who dared parachute down in an attempt to hit the massive target space.<p>

Emily carefully manoeuvred her way towards the front of the viewing area as the thrum of airplane engines sounded distantly. With so many small children around the task proved a little more difficult that she had originally anticipated as she didn't want to block anyone's view. Finally she reached an area not quite at the front, but close enough that she hoped to be able to see everyone land; she had no doubt it would be a sight to see.

"Em! Hi!" a small voice to her right called. Taken by surprise she looked over to see the beaming face of one little boy. Fred. She smiled to herself at the enthusiasm the boy showed; no doubt he wanted to be up there just as badly as she did. Fred was one of Tommy's young friends and it was no secret that the boy looked up to the teenager fervently. The older girl managed to slip through a gap in the crowd to stand next to Fred who smiled up at her brightly. "Why aren't you up there too? Not afraid of heights are you?"

She laughed, not used to being ribbed by someone little over half her age, "Of course not!" The boy looked at her expectantly, a look of incredulous disbelief on his face. "I wanted to jump too, but I had to see my parents off at the airport," she scanned the skies as the sounds of an engine grew louder, the hum of the crowd growing with it. "I didn't miss them landing did I? I only got here just in time to see someone land in the parking lot," she smirked, "I figured it couldn't be Tommy or one of the guys with that technique."

Fred cast a look backwards at a man in an orange jumpsuit standing behind him looking sheepish. "No, that definitely wasn't them." Just then a plane passed by overhead. "That was them! They must be coming soon," he grinned excitedly. "Alright Dad," he said turning back to the man quickly as a commentator came over the loudspeaker to announce the decent of the Angel Grove High team, "pay close attention. This is how the pros do it."

"Hey I didn't do so bad," Fred's dad insisted in an attempt to save some dignity.

At this the young boy turned back to the teenager, "He's the one you saw landing in the parking lot." He looked back to his father, "It was embarrassing." Struggling futilely to hide a grin Emily looked up questioningly at the slightly ashamed older man before her attention was called back to the skies by the announcer's commentary.

She looked back just in time to see Adam hit a near perfect bull's-eye on the target. A torrent of cheers came from the crowd which Emily gladly joined in on with a cheer of her own for her friend. Hot on his heels was Billy, who also managed an excellent landing. She watched proudly as one after another all of her friends landed perfectly amid growing excitement from the crowd until finally Tommy dropped down, nailing a particularly tricky perfect score. By the time the leader had touched ground Fred was practically vibrating.

With a final whoop of appreciation for her school's team Emily turned to Fred. "I'm going to go catch up with the team, but I'll see you later right?"

"Yeah for sure! I'm going to go congratulate Tommy!" The boy's eyes shined with delight as he dashed off through the crowd to find Angel Grove's golden boy, quickly followed by his father.

She smiled at the boy's antics before quickly making her way over to where she could see the other members of the team were attempting to free themselves of their parachutes. Thankfully the crowd was quick to disperse so getting to them was not nearly as hard as it could have been.

"Hey guys!" she called as she approached them. They looked over at her and smiled or waved, depending on their current luck with their gear. Adam and Billy, being the first ones on the ground were the only two with their helmets off. Adam was actually already making quick work of his chute. "Great job guys!"

"Thanks," Adam said cheerfully as he straightened up, now finished with his gear and moving on to help Rocky with his. "It's too bad you couldn't be there with us."

"Yeah, I know. It looked like so much fun!" Emily sighed as she reached over to help Kimberley with her helmet.

Kimberley shook out her hair as the florescent pink helmet came off with the other girl's help. "Your parents made it to the airport okay though, right?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Mom should be sleeping her way across the ocean soon," she smiled.

"Airport?" Aisha asked, her voice slightly muffled by her helmet as she started to pull it off. "Where are they going?"

"Oh, my aunt just had a baby and she's having a little trouble adjusting to it all. Mom thought she could help and Dad didn't like the idea of her flying all alone for the first time," Emily shrugged.

"They left you all alone?" Aisha asked sceptically.

"They don't think they'll be gone long." Up until now she'd tried not to think about being home all alone for at least a week. She rolled the helmet in her hands, starting to feel the nervousness kick in around her stomach.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Billy's reasonable voice piped up from where he was finishing up with his chute. "By leaving you alone they're showing how mature and trustworthy they think you are. Besides, after what we've already handled together, I'm sure you can handle any complications that arise." The matter of fact way that he spoke made it feel as though any other possibility was out of the question. She couldn't help but smile a little at her own foolishness. She could face down Lord Zedd's constant attacks on the city, but a little alone time had her running scared? Now she just felt silly.

"Besides," a hand landed lightly on her shoulder, "worst comes to worst we can always come by and hang out with you. Or you could come and stay with any of us." She looked up to find Adam's characteristic shy smile.

"I might have to take you up on that," she grinned. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze as the other Rangers nodded their agreement. "Thanks guys. Really." They were so much more than friends, they were family. "So how was the jump anyway?"

Rocky let out a jubilant whoop by means of an answer earning several chuckles from everyone else. "Man, you've got to do it Em! It's awesome."

She couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else, "For sure. Nothing's going to stop me next time," she vowed.

"Excellent!" Aisha grinned, "You and me are going first next time then."

"Definitely. You with us Kim?"

"You can bet on it!" Kim laughed. By now everyone had managed to get their gear together. "Are we all good? Why don't we go find Tommy?" She suggested eager to see how her boyfriend felt about the jump. The others murmured their agreement as they carefully piled their gear together where they could come back for it later.

Tommy was easily spotted talking through the quickly thinning crowd, an excited Fred at his side. Undoubtedly many of the spectators were now heading over the Ernie's to enjoy the closing festivities. As the group approached Tommy the look of avid admiration on Fred's face made several of the Rangers grin widely. Kimberly naturally arrived first with a jubilant "Guys, we did it," followed quickly by Billy's praise of Tommy's incredible, albeit a little showy, landing. Humbly Tommy returned the compliment beaming brightly at his friends.

"Has anyone seen Bulk and Skull?" Billy asked, scanning the skies.

Everyone quickly looked up, trying to find some trace of the two punkish boys. "Were they supposed to jump too?" Em furrowed her brow as she too looked above her. If they hadn't jumped by now the odds of them having any kind of reception were dwindling quickly as even the charity volunteers began to clear out of the area or begin cleaning up the mess left behind by the crowd.

"Yeah, they were in the same plane as us," Rocky said sounding confused. "There's no way they could have missed the drop zone could they?"

"Well, Ernie's serving free desert with lunch," Aisha smirked. "They probably landed on the roof." The group chuckled softly, all worries for the two boys disappearing quickly; knowing the two of them that was exactly what had happened. No matter what time of day it was those two were always hungry and passing up free food simply wasn't in their nature.

"I think we're going to head over that way too," Fred's dad clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "Are you guys going to come?"

"I dunno," Tommy looked over at his friends expectantly, "I'm not really feeling like lunch yet, how about you guys?" Everyone except Rocky shook their heads.

"I could eat," he shrugged.

Adam laughed and nudged his best friend good naturedly. "You could always eat."

"Not always." The group of friends laughed lightly as they waved goodbye to Fred and his dad.

"Well," Tommy began, taking charge of the situation, "what do you guys feel like doing?"

The group fell into an easy silence as they all thought about what could possibly follow the adrenaline rush they were all still coming down off of. "Oh! I know," Kim smiled, "why don't we go rollerblading?" Hearing no objections to the idea they all agreed to meet at the school in an hour once they had all grabbed their rollerblading gear.

Adam, Rocky, Aisha, and Emily headed off together in the direction of their houses. Along the way Emily insisted they fill her in on everything that had happened with the jump. Although she was definitely jealous she hadn't been able to join them, their excitement was infectious.

"But seriously," Aisha enthused, "next time it's you and me first."

Emily laughed. "If there is a next time."

"Oh there'll be a next time," Rocky promised.

"Going to make it a habit of jumping out of moving planes?" Emily smirked.

"As long as I've got a parachute, you bet I will!"

"Meet back here in fifteen?" Adam asked as they stopped at the corner leading to their individual houses.

"Sounds good to me," Aisha agreed as her and Rocky turned down the side street towards their houses, leaving Adam and Emily to continue down the street to where they could already see the familiar sights of their homes waiting for them. They walked in a comfortable silence, Adam's hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans.

When they reached the drive up to her house they stopped for a moment. "I'll head on to my house and meet you back here," Adam suggested as he spun so he could still face her, though walking backwards towards his house further down the street.

"Sounds good to me," she smiled.

"'Kay, I'll try not to take too long." He turned and hurried down the sidewalk, caught somewhere between a walk and a jog. Shaking her head Emily strolled leisurely up the drive to her front door pulling the small silver key from her pocket as she went.

Inside the house was completely dark and silent. The door swung shut behind her as she toed off her shoes, allowing them to fall haphazardly where they may.

She hurried up the stairs to the main portion of the house. Although her parents were probably still in the air she couldn't resist the urge to poke her head into the kitchen to see if there were any messages for her on the answering machine letting her know they had arrived safely. As she had anticipated there was nothing, but she felt better having looked.

The hall from the kitchen to her room was dark much like the rest of the house but she didn't bother to turn on a light as she hurried down the short distance. Adam wouldn't be long at his house grabbing his gear, he always kept his room meticulously clean, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. As the light in her room flicked into life she sighed; her room was littered with cast off clothing, books, and various sporting gear. Pulling the piles apart she tried to assemble some kind of order that she would be able to deal with later, but the further in she got without any sight of her rollerblading gear the more frantic her search became.

She peered under her bed where boxes full of winter storage were placed. Carefully she moved the boxes, reaching up to her elbow in between them. Her probing hands finally landed on a hard smooth surface. She grabbed at the cold plastic and knew immediately that she had finally found her gear. Carefully pulling everything out she inspected each item carefully, looking for any damaged in the purple plastic or buckles. Satisfied that everything was still in excellent condition she hurried out of her room, clicking off the light switch with her elbow as she balanced the assorted gear in her arms.

Back outside in the sunlight she carefully dumped her gear onto the small concrete steps leading to her front door and plopped down next to it. Just as she started to pull on her bracers Adam sailed up her driveway, already decked out in his gear. He grinned as he got closer to her and called, "Still not ready?"

She grinned up at him briefly as she tightened the brace on her left wrist. "Yeah. I guess my room's in need of a little cleaning," she admitted as he pulled himself to a stop next to her and leaned against the smooth surface of her house. "Hopefully the others aren't as quick as you are."

Adam shrugged, obviously not worried. "There's no way they'll be there before us. Rocky never keeps his room clean. He'll be lucky to find his gear at all."

The teenagers exchanged a knowing glance, smiles on both their faces. "Well, to be fair, it's not like any of us really have a lot of time to clean our rooms between school and," she paused, making sure no one was within hearing distance, "you know, everything else."

"I seem to manage it." She laughed at him and pushed him lightly on the leg from where she sat on the stairs; even on rollerblades his balance was impeccable and she did little to move him at all.

"We can't all be you." He smirked down at her and shrugged as she finished on the last buckle of her blades.

"Did'ja lock the door?" he asked as she grabbed her helmet off the pavement.

"Oh gosh, no. I almost forgot," she scrambled to get to her feet, pulling her key out of the pocket of her jeans.

"Here, let me," Adam took the key gently from her fingers. "You put your helmet on." The stairs caused no problem for him as he quickly hurried up to the door and firmly locked it. He held the key out to her as he bounced down the stairs.

"Thanks," she adjusted her helmet before taking the key back and slipping it into her pocket.

"No problem. Ready?"

"I think so." The two started off down the driveway, their blades clicking over the cracks in the pavement. They moved down the sidewalk side by side for a few lengths before Emily spoke. "Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"How long did you say it would take Rocky to find his gear?"

"Dunno," Adam turned his gaze over to her, "if he's lucky he may just trip over it as soon as he walks in." Rocky may have been Adam's best friend, but there was no pretending that he was a good organizer. With his incredible skill with martial arts it was hard to believe he could be so lazy when it came to something like that, but then again, they were all just teenagers after all. "Why?"

"Oh, well I wouldn't want them waiting for us or anything," there was something a little mischievous in her smile.

"What?" he asked apprehensively, knowing that look.

She pulled herself to a stop, Adam easily doing the same beside her. "I was just thinking. We agreed to meet at that corner right?" She pointed ahead of them to the corner about 100 metres away. Adam nodded silently. "Well, if we don't want to be late, we could always make a race of it."

He grinned, "Really?"

She nodded. "Why not?"

"Oh, you're so on," he agreed.

"First one to the bench at the corner wins?" she suggested.

"Ready…"

"Set…"

"Go!" they cried out together and sped off down the sidewalk.

The race was short, but even so they were both breathing a little harder when they reached the bench, though the shortness of breath was likely more due to the fact they were both laughing than the actual physical exertion. Adam had easily beaten her by a few feet, though he had been nice enough to stay even with her at the beginning. When they managed to get their breath back she raised her hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. You beat me," she admitted.

"It was your idea," he grinned.

"Yeah well…I'll beat you next time."

He chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah really," she pushed his chest lightly at the teasing tone in his voice. He let her move him back a few inches until she could just barely reach him with the tips of her fingers.

Her hand dropped back down to her side as he closed the space between them slightly. "Well, I'll hold you to that." She narrowed her eyes in challenge at him, to which he only shrugged and tucked his hands back into the pockets of his jeans.

"Hey guys!"

They drifted apart slightly and turned toward the voice coming from the side street to see Aisha and Rocky hurrying towards them. "Sorry we're late!" Aisha apologized as she and Rocky glided up next to the pair. "Rocky had a little trouble finding his stuff. His room was a total mess."

"It wasn't that bad," Rocky tried to defend himself.

Emily laughed at his sulky tone. "No worries guys. We should still be able to meet up with everyone else on time if we leave now."

"Let's get going then," Aisha pushed off, easily gliding down the sidewalk. Emily quickly hurried after her.

"C'mon, let's go," Rocky enthusiastically clapped Adam on the shoulder before they took off after the girls.


	2. The Warning

It wasn't long before the foursome met up with the rest of the Rangers. In almost no time at all Tommy had taken the lead and was navigating them through the best places in Angel Grove. The boys sped ahead, showing off their impressive ability and performing tricks whenever the opportunity presented itself. They were sliding down stairs backwards and jumping off ramps and curbs. The girls, a little less adventurous, hung back behind. They too performed tricks, though they weren't going out of their way to do them like the guys. Instead they spent the lull in between jumps laughing with each other and chattering away.

They all whooped excitedly as one by one they filed off a particularly steep drop, all landing perfectly thanks to the training they all undertook to keep themselves at the top of their abilities. Ever since they had started saving the world it had become harder and harder to find new ways to find that kind of thrill.

"Let's take a short cut!" The call came from the front where Tommy ducked into an ally way. Kim, having eventually gotten more ambitious in her rollerblading, quickly followed him through. The rest of the gang sped off after them through the narrow passageway.

They emerged in a construction field they likely weren't allowed to be in, but there were definitely thrills to be had here that couldn't be found on the pedestrian walkways and bike paths. Tommy, Billy, Rocky and Adam vaulted over a low wall while Kim, Aisha and Emily rocketed down a steep ramp. They weaved through the construction workers and couldn't help but laugh and call out to each other as a group of men paused in their work to watch the teenagers careen by.

Tommy lead them from the construction site back onto the main street. In the distance they could see Ernie's Juice Bar still crowded with people from the benefit. The site of that many people may have damped some spirits, but not Rocky's. "Hey!" he called forward to the others "Let's get something to eat!"

"How can you be hungry?" Emily spun around, skating backward so she could look at him.

"How can you not?" The other Rangers laughed at the friendly ribbing between the two. The moment was cut short as a chime from their wrists cut off any retort Em might have had.

Immediately they clustered together as a group, furtively looking around them to see if anyone had noticed. No one ever did, but they couldn't help the feeling that one day Alpha's handiwork would fail and someone not trained to hear the soft distress signal would hear it. "Let's go over there," Tommy motioned to a small grouping of shrubs and trees that would keep them from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. They quickly followed their leader, still casting glances at passers-by from the corner of their eyes.

"What's up Alpha?"

"Rangers, Zordon need you at the command centre. It's urgent!" Emily cast a worried look at Adam and Rocky. It wasn't often the small robot got its circuits fired up about nothing and he sounded particularly distressed.

The three weren't the only ones feeling that something major was coming. "We're on our way." Tommy's voice was solemn and serious as he spoke into the communicator, casting a worried glance over his team. The seven placed their hands on their communicators and waited for Alpha to teleport them back to receive Zordon's orders.

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><p>All seven Rangers stood in front of Zordon's projection in stunned silence. Their high spirits and laughs had been completely silenced with the news of the new impending evil, Ivan Ooze. They had managed to fend off Zedd and Rita's constant attacks, but Emily had a feeling that Ivan Ooze would be much harder to defend against.<p>

"Use extreme caution Rangers. You are dealing with an evil here that is beyond all imagination."

The Rangers exchanged nervous glances; they had never seen Alpha so worked up over a single enemy, or heard Zordon caution them so insistently. They couldn't help but feel the gravity of the situation settle over them as they looked at their fellow Rangers wondering if all of them would be able to make it through a battle with such a force of evil. Or if they were finally facing a battle they wouldn't ever be ready for.


	3. Ivan Ooze

Seven streaks of brightly coloured light touched down into the construction site the Rangers had skated through earlier that day. Now that the site was abandoned for the night and the only light came from the few lamps set up for security reasons the area felt almost threatening. The construction vehicles towered over the rubble like sentinel beings. Emily felt the last of the residual tingle from teleportation leave her fingers slowly as all seven Rangers searched the area carefully; according to Alpha this was where Ivan Ooze had been released from his prison. If they were in luck he could still be around and they might be able to prevent him from ever really entering the city.

"Anybody see anything?" Aisha asked apprehensively.

Always the leader, Tommy had a plan of action already in mind, "Let's take a look up there." The Rangers swarmed into action, careful to make as little noise as possible as they dismounted from the heap of stone slabs and dirt.

They climbed up to a smooth plateau cordoned off by thick yellow caution tape. Inside they could make out fragments of what looked to be a giant purple egg. Adam and Rocky glanced at each other before pulling the tape up and allowing Aisha and Emily to enter the space before quickly following along behind them. The teenagers groaned in disgust as an overwhelming smell of something long forgotten and deeply rotten hit them like a wall as they approached the purple mass in front of them. Kimberley leaned forward bravely to get a closer look.

"Hey!" A hand appeared on Tommy's shoulder, spinning him around. Adam, Emily, and Rocky spun around ready to jump to the defence of their leader as Kimberley gasped in surprise at the intruder.

The source was not a creature bent on their destruction, but an ordinary security guard. The Rangers dropped back out of their stances trying to look casual, though they still regarded the man with distrust.

"What are you kids doing here?"

"Um," still a little shaken from the guard's sudden appearance Kim blurted out what first came to her mind, "you haven't by any chance seen a morphological being lurking around here?"

"Morphological being?"

"Yeah," Kim whispered, already regretting what she had said.

"What the heck is that?"

"We're not really sure…exactly," Emily cringed slightly, knowing that very little could make this situation worse at this point. Adam looked down at her unbelievingly to which she just shrugged.

The guard seemed to think for a moment before an almost blank look overtook his face. "Well, would it look something like this?"

The man's face began to melt and ooze slowly. His features warped and darkness seeped into his skin, staining it a deep dark purple. His clothes receded into his body to be replaced by a cloak that looked to be made from the same substance his entire being was quickly changing into. The Rangers took a small step back, dropping into fighting stances as the transformation completed and before them stood the most hideous thing that had even seen. The creature chuckled lightly as he looked at their shocked faces.

"Ew gross," Kimberley backed closer to Tommy as the monster's beady eyes surveyed them.

"Too kind," the monster waved his hands grandly as he spoke in a cultured voice that seemed almost out of place coming from something so outwardly disgusting. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the galactically feared, globally reviled, universally despised – they call me Ivan Ooze." The pure evil radiating from the creature was enough to convince the Rangers that this really was the being Zordon had sent them out to defeat, even had he not introduced himself.

Rocky stepped forward, almost bumping into Emily in front of him. She felt his arm stretch out over her shoulder towards Ivan. "Well pack your bags 'cause we're sending you right back where you came from." Though Rocky's optimism could usually be praised, Emily couldn't help but feel this was one creature they didn't want to taunt.

"Gee, a teenager with a big mouth. Not much has changed in six thousand years." Ivan closed the gap between himself and the Rangers, though he was careful to stay just beyond arm's reach.

"You obviously don't know who you're dealing with, Mr. Raisin Head." Kimberley seemed to have found her courage again as she stepped to the forefront of the group. Tommy kept his gaze trained on Ivan, though Kimberley never left his peripheral vision.

"Really?" Ooze was anything but impressed with her display and Emily couldn't help but feel that all this talk was somehow giving him the advantage over them.

"Yeah. We're the Power Rangers," Tommy's voice was full of conviction and challenge as he stepped in front of Kimberly.

"Woo!" Ivan threw his arms in the air, causing the Rangers to jump in response. They couldn't be sure how or when he'd attack, but there was no doubt in any of their minds that they were already in deep over their heads. "Where's my autograph book?" he threw his arms back to his sides, giving them a dismissive sneer. "Ha! Power Rangers huh? So Zordon's still using a bunch of kids to do his dirty work?" he chuckled at the feebleness of the being that had become a large part of the Rangers' lives as he walked through a stretch of the thick yellow caution tape. "Well, meet my kids!"

Lightening shot from Ivan Ooze's fingers and plunged into the ground at his feet as he raised his hands over his head. The Rangers were unable to do more than watch as the electrical charges rent the air with a horrible noise, barely masking Ivan's deranged laughter. Emily threw her hands up to protect her eyes as the light flared brighter and brighter to the point of being painful. When she was able to finally lower them more beings like Ivan were quickly taking shape. They looked almost human except for the purple substance they were all made from dripping thickly to the ground. They seemed less like individual beings then simply extensions of Ivan's wickedness.

"From this moment forth the world as you know it shall cease to exist." Emily couldn't help but step away from Ivan and his creatures, accidently trodding on Rocky's foot as she did so. "Welcome to my nightmare!" Ivan's voice boomed loudly, echoing back at the Rangers from every angle until it felt as though Ivan was everywhere.

The Rangers shielded their eyes as another blaze of white hot lightening shot through the sky while Ivan's laughter surrounded them. When they were able to see again Ivan was gone, but his creations weren't.

Tommy cursed under his breath as Rocky exclaimed, "He's gone!"

Sensing the Rangers uneasiness the purple horde growled lowly and began to slowly move forward. They moved in quick jerks and jumps, still becoming accustomed to their new form of life. The growling built in intensity like a war taunt as the Rangers scrambled backward.

"What do we do?" the Rangers all looked to Tommy for guidance, but only Kim could voice the concern aloud.

Billy's heel slipped off the edge of the plateau as the group tried to buy themselves time. His head whipped around to see that beyond the steep slope leading from the raised area they were currently in was a reasonably flat lower deck. "Looks like there's plenty of room down there."

"Go guys!" Tommy courageously surged forward to buy his friends the time they needed to escape to the more even playing field below. He met the mass of Ivan's monsters head on with a roundhouse that barely missed hitting any of its targets, but the challenge was made.

The Rangers wasted no time in jumping down to the rubble beneath them. The numerous battles they had fought together in had made them accustomed to each other's rhythms and in a matter of seconds they had all safely landed. Tommy was quick to join them – he dived away from the creatures just in time; a second longer and everything could have taken a turn for the worse.

"Let's take these beasts!" Adam encouraged his friends. Already the adrenaline was running thick and all seven teenagers could feel the familiar hum of it coursing through their bodies.

"Spread out!" Tommy ordered.

As one the Rangers moved away from the platform where the creatures stared down with their beady eyes. Emily immediately lost track of the other Rangers in the ensuing chaos as Ivan's army surged down to meet them. A low growling followed close behind her as she vaulted over a low concrete wall still under construction. She spun around just in time to see the creature aim a swipe at her head and barely managed to duck in time. She landed a kick squarely in the center of its chest, but aside from forcing it to stumble back into the wall her attack seemed to have no effect other than to make the creature angrier. She swore and hit the dirt at it ran back at her. She swiped a kick out and took out the creature at the knees. It felt back, its head crashing into the wall. Emily was on her feet again in a flash, but she didn't have time to celebrate as another creature jumped over the wall. She managed to dodge the kick it aimed at her but was blindsided by a punch from the opposite side. The punch sent her reeling off to the side, white light entering her vision for a brief second. The creature launched itself at her again only to be sent flying over her back as she ducked down low and hit its midsection using its own momentum to propel it away from her.

The other Rangers were already regrouping and she hurried to join them knowing that what she had just done would only slow the creature down for a moment. As she reached five of the six other Rangers Adam took a nasty hit from one of the creatures and came thumping onto the ground in front of them.

"Adam!" Emily and Rocky quickly grabbed Adam's arms and helped him to his feet as the horde closed in on them. He was covered in dirt and gravel, but otherwise seemed almost unharmed except for a twist in his right leg. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he grit through his teeth as he stood, one hand pressed down hard against his leg.

More of the creatures surged from all sides, backing the Rangers against the sheer face of the quarry wall. The odds were stacked against them.

"What do we do?"

"There's too many of them!"

Six pairs of eyes turned expectantly on Tommy, waiting for his order – at this point they all knew they had no other option.

"Let's do it guys. It's morhpin' time!"


	4. Losing Power

"Let's do it guys. It's morhpin' time!"

The Rangers pulled out their morphers and evoked the name of each of their power. Emily could feel the burn of power build inside her from the moment the word 'velociraptor' left her lips. The burn started in her hands as her power coin activated and quickly moved through the rest of her body building in intensity. Although she had called upon her power numerous times before in their fight against evil the feeling was something that she felt she would never get used to. The power covered every inch of her like a second skin. She could feel it solidifying around her, forming into the protective suit that would make her more resilient to damage. All energy that had been lost battling the ooze monsters in her human form was returned to her with the addition of her power and she could feel the power burning like a bright light in her chest as the transformation completed.

She expected to come out of the transformation facing the mass of purple warriors but in the short time it had taken the Rangers to power up they had disappeared.

"Where did they go?" Kimberly asked.

"How could they disappear so fast?" Emily scanned the area in case they had managed to hide themselves away somewhere so they could ambush the Rangers.

Adam seemed to be thinking along the same line as he scanned the horizon. "Keep your eyes peeled."

Rocky was the first to spot one of the fleeing ooze creatures but before he could draw the other Rangers' attention to it, it had disappeared into a dense unnatural fog.

The sight of the fog did little to ease Tommy's worries as he tried to train his eyes to peer through the thick soupy depths. "Careful. It could be a trap." He knew that the thought had probably crossed the other Rangers minds too, but he couldn't take that chance when he felt responsible for their lives.

Slowly, with every sense honed to pick up every possible clue to the whereabouts of the creatures, the Rangers entered into the bones of a building. The fog hung even more densely here with no breeze to shift the swirling eddies. The building had no lights yet which only made the fog feel more oppressive as each pillar and beam loomed out slowly. The floors and low ceiling were slick with a thin layer of ooze providing the perfect cover for Ivan's children.

"This place gives me the creeps," Adam said, looking over his shoulder searching for the cause of a sound he couldn't be sure he hadn't just imagined.

"Me too," Emily agreed as she stepped over a thick pile of ooze. "Gross."

"Well, at least we know they came this way," Rocky said from beside her as he accidently stepped into the sludge.

Every pillar became suspect as they travelled deeper into the cavernous building. Billy jumped around a thick pillar close to them with a cry only to find nothing there. "I've got a bad feeling about this place," he groaned as he re-joined the Rangers.

A cry like the battle call of the ooze army sounded through the large empty building. The Rangers all jumped into battle stances waiting silently, each one casting their gaze in a different direction.

"Anyone see anything?" Kimberly whispered quietly still looking desperately for a trace of the creatures.

"We need some light," Tommy pointed out, turning to Aisha.

The yellow ranger was quick to obey orders. "Activating power beam," she warned as a bright swatch of light spilled from her helmet.

The light, though necessary, proved to be of little help. The fog wouldn't allow the light to travel, and even on the rare chance that it did there simply wasn't enough scope to the lights to give them any real chance of seeing an attack coming. Aisha scanned her head from side to side trying to give them a clearer picture but there was little she could do.

"They've got to be around here somewhere," Tommy's frustration was becoming infectious. "Rocky, can you try?"

"Activating power scope." A red light appeared in Rocky's visor, slowly scanning from side to side and feeding information through to the teenager.

After a few moments of silence Tommy spoke up. "Talk to me Rock-O. What've you got?"

"The readings are all over the place," Rocky's voice was filled with confusion as he tried to interpret the data. "I don't know what these purple creeps are made of but I can't lock them down."

"All right, stay alert everyone."

Emily couldn't help but feel that she couldn't possibly be any more alert without becoming paranoid: every sound and shadow already made her jump to the ready.

"Over there!" Rocky's shout cut through the silence of the building as they saw a dark shadow run through the far side of the building.

"Let's power up!"

"Right!"

"Here they come!" Aisha's light faded out as the creatures surged out from the dark crevices that had hid them to fall upon the Rangers.

The next few moments were lost in a flurry of movement. Emily struck out again and again against the creatures but there seemed to be no end. Every punch and kick connected with the soft pliable flesh of Ivan's creations, but there was always another one to step into its place. She could hear the grunts from the other Rangers as the purple monsters landed a few hits of their own, but she had to trust in her friends to come through; only together would they be able to break through the beasts.

Without even noticing it the Rangers slowly managed to thin out the army and move further away from each other as they battled the stream of opponents. They all took hard hits as they tried to force the creatures out into a more open area. Emily while concentrating on the creature in front of her was blindsided with a nasty blow to her ribcage. She hit the floor hard. Even through her power suit she could feel the unrelenting concrete batter her body. She was quick to regain her feet, but Rocky and Adam had already stepped in to distract the creatures she had been fighting. The two boys were engrossed in the rigorous fight, so she knew now was not the time to give them her thanks, but she had a feeling they knew anyway.

A gang of three of the monsters rushed away from the battle. Emily caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to see them dash off around a large pile of construction equipment. She scanned the area, curious as to what had made them turn tail and run. It was then that she spotted the unfinished floor above where the Rangers were fighting. The floor's walls hadn't yet been completed and if the creatures were allowed to gain the platform they could easily drop down on any one of her friends, all of which had their hands full with their own gaggle of creatures.

She dashed off after the creatures, quickly finding a second set of stairs up to the platform that the construction workers had been using. There was no way to be stealthy on the rickety wood stairs so she opted for speed. The wooden frame creaked in protest as she bounded upwards, taking as many stairs at a time as her legs would allow. When she reached the top the three creatures were already there and had obviously heard her coming. They fell into a chaotic battle stance, growling wetly in their throats. Emily stood for a moment, trapped by the bloodlust in their eyes.

The creatures shifted their feet, retreating a few steps before falling into a sloppy formation. Emily didn't dare move – even with her powers the odds were still stacked against her. She debated whether now could be considered an appropriate time for the use of her power weapons but Zordon's caution against unnecessary force rung in her head. Every creature deserved an honourable fight, even if they were as despicable as Ivan.

She wouldn't have time to complete her internal struggle as the bravest of the three creatures ran at her full tilt. Instinct kicked in from the moment the creature's cry rent the air: Emily dropped down into a more stable stance and braced for impact. As soon as the creature connected with her she threw all her might in combination with its momentum to propel it over her shoulder and down the stairs. She heard it hit the wooden staircase with a heavy thud. The stairs had already been unsteady, and with the extra weight and the force of the impact they could take no more. Emily looked behind her as the stairs collapsed, taking the creature with them. The wreckage of the stairs buried the creature underneath its substantial weight. One down.

When she turned her attention back to the other two creatures they seemed as shocked as she did at the collapse of the stairs though they were quick to recover. They started their tactic of advances and retreats again as she started towards them away from the edge of the platform. The creatures were not to be taken lightly as they charged at her together. She felt every kick and blow as she twisted and turned trying and failing to keep an eye on both creatures at once. She didn't know what these things were made from, but whatever they were certainly packed one hell of a punch.

They were relentless in their attack and she found herself forced to block more hits than she was able to dole out and she knew that if she couldn't find a way to break out from their flurry of attacks soon the first creature wouldn't be the only thing crushed under debris tonight.

Emily ducked as she saw a blow coming at her from either side and finally managed to break away from the pair as their strikes connected with each other. Taking quick advantage of their confusion she managed to separate one with a strong kick to the middle of its back. The creature stumbled once and spun to look over its shoulder. Her second kick connected just as she locked eyes with the beast. The humanoid facial expression it carried as she connected made her stomach twinge. Ivan was excellent at exploiting his advantages, and by given his creations human faces he had ensured that defeating them would be no easy task for the Rangers. As she watched the creature fly forward and connect solidly with the wall her inherent need to protect life reared its head but it was too late. The creature slid down the wall, leaving a slimy purple streak behind and fell still.

She turned to the only remaining creature and tried to banish the thought of the terrified look on the now dead creature's face. If she allowed herself to feel sorry for the creatures then this battle was over and she would never win. She forcibly reminded herself that these things were not human and were they allowed to survive all of humanity would suffer under Ivan – that is if he allowed them to live long enough to suffer at all.

The creature shuffled away from her, grunting and grumbling. Suddenly it turned and leapt off the ledge behind it. Emily ran forward but was too late to stop it. By the time she reached the edge the creature had already landed on the ground below. Not far from where it landed she could see Rocky and Adam battling their own purple little problems.

Without hesitating, Emily jumped down from the plateau with a cry. The creature looked up as she fell through the air, the wind whistling past her visor. It was in motion before she landed and she only barely avoided what could have been a devastating kick before she hit the ground in front of the creature. The two grappled, locked together as they moved closer towards the red and black Rangers, neither one managing to get and edge on their opponent. She tried not to look into the beady hateful eyes of the purple creature, though she found that the snarls it made helped to put perspective on what she was really fighting. Finally she managed to break away from the creature long enough to land a series of escalating punches to its abdomen. The creature fell backwards towards where Adam had just finished with his opponent.

"Adam look out!" Emily yelled as the creature flailed desperately. The black ranger looked up just in time to see the thrashing projectile and landed a solid kick, sending it back towards Emily. Purely by reflex and the months she had spent training with the others she aimed a second shattering kick towards the monster as it flew back at her. It hit the ground and remained still. The purple ranger breathed a sigh of relief as she ran over to join the red and black Rangers.

"Thanks," she huffed, breathing heavily.

"No problem," Adam assured her.

"Come on, let's get back to the others," Rocky pumped his fist.

"Right!"

They hurried to where they could see the other Rangers gathering on a slightly raised portion of the battleground. Rocky, Adam, and Emily managed to flip themselves up to join the others just moments before Tommy came soaring down from above them.

The last few remaining members of Ivan's creations came careening across the concrete pad toward them, snarling and snapping. The Rangers prepared for the onslaught but Tommy wanted this fight over.

"I want you guys to meet Saba!" he growled as he pulled out his most powerful weapon – the enchanted talking dagger.

Saba flew around the stragglers, penning them in close together as they watched the lethal blade turn end over end impossibly fast. The Rangers watched in disbelief as the blade instead of attacking the purple ooze creatures flew up instead to where the construction workers had left a heavy metal element strapped to a crane. Saba cut through the supports as though they had never been there to begin with, sending all the destructive force of gravity raining down upon to heads of the creatures.

The only remainder of the creatures was a thick sludge that slowly crept out from under the corners of the metal box.

The Rangers celebrated their hard fought victory as the final sounds of fighting faded from the site, but this war was far from over.

"Now let's go find Ivan," Tommy said over the whoops from the other Rangers.

The Rangers weren't able to take a single step before an overwhelming feeling of nausea settled over them, accompanied by an almost painful electric tingle. Pain shot through Emily like a flood as her energy ebbed away. Her ribs screamed painfully as she twisted to look down at herself where she could see small currents of power running across the bright purple material of her suit.

"Hey, what's happening?" called out a distressed Kim.

"We're losing power…" Billy's confusion could be felt by every ranger as they watched the energy waves cover more of their bodies.

With a final kick of nausea and a more intense stab of pain the suits faded leaving the teenagers back in their civilian forms.

"What's going on?" Kim groaned.

"How is this possible?" Emily asked as she surveyed the other Rangers as though any of them could possibly know the answer.

Billy pressed down the message button on his communicator, "Alpha, come in," he called.

The teenagers stared in silence waiting for the chirpy voice of Alpha to reply. The moment seemed to stretch thin as Rocky tried his communicator as well.

"We better get back," Tommy could feel the panic building up around them. "Let's go guys." They looked at each other before jumping off the platform after Tommy; it had been a long time since they had had to walk all the way to the command centre. The time it would take to get there would give them all something they didn't need; time to imagine what could have happened to Alpha and Zordon.


	5. The Command Center

Travelling by foot to the command centre felt foreign and almost wrong after being transported there by Alpha all this time. As they walked quickly through the coarse sand Emily tried to remember a time when the transporter wasn't working, but nothing came to mind. Alpha had always been there for them, standing at the ready to transport them home at the slightest sign of trouble. The journey from the construction site to the command centre through the dim moonlight gave them plenty of time to imagine what kind of trouble would cause them to be unable to contact Alpha or Zordon.

The tension among the teenagers was tangible though Tommy did his best to quiet their fears. He reminded them several times that without a power coin no one could enter the command centre. He insisted that at most the power supply to the chamber had been lost, and when they arrived Alpha and Zordon would be fine. The other six tried their hardest to believe him, but the dark sense of foreboding nagged at the back of all of their minds and even Tommy didn't seem sure of what he was saying. Emily tried to keep the visions of a dismantled Alpha lying broken upon the floor from her mind, but the closer they got to Zordon's headquarters the harder it was not to think about what they might find inside.

"Hey, are you alright?" Adam's voice broke through her concentration. She looked over at him for a moment, their eyes meeting briefly. The same worry she felt was reflected back at her in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Alpha. It's just that nothing like this has happened before," she murmured, not wanting her anxiety to spread through the rest of the Rangers.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine," Rocky ducked his head around Adam to speak with her. He attempted a confident smile, but even he fell short at a moment like this. "You heard what Tommy said, they're probably just fine."

Adam nodded his agreement. "He's right. Try not to worry too much."

"I'm trying," she smiled weakly. "I just…we don't even know where Ivan went. What if he…" her words faded off at the look in Rocky and Adam's eyes. Obviously she wasn't the only one wondering what had happened to the purple parasite.

"Nah," Rocky said. "Couldn't be."

An uncomfortable silence stretched over the three of them and she knew they were all thinking the same thing: what if.

"How's your ribs?" Emily was once again pulled from her musings by Adam. He seemed to know her need for a distraction right now, but she couldn't help but feel she wasn't the only one who needed something else to occupy her mind.

"They're okay," she said looking down to where she could feel a deep bruise spreading across her side. Gingerly she touched her fingers to her bottom two ribs. They didn't feel broken or cracked, but they sure hurt like hell. Adam must have noticed how she was babying that side after the rush of their power had faded away. "How about your knee?" Ever since they had left the construction site she couldn't help but notice how Adam had seemed to favour that knee a little more than usual. It wasn't unusual for he and Rocky to bring up the rear behind everyone else, but Adam seemed to be moving a little slower than usual and Rocky, being the good friend that he was, had hung back behind with him.

He gave her a look that was half a smile, half a grimace, "Twinges a bit," he admitted. Emily imagined it hurt more than he was letting on, but he always was one for putting on a brave face. If how she was feeling after the loss of their powers was any indication Adam must have been in a world of hurt, but he certainly wasn't slowing the group down as he soldiered on.

Finally the seven teenagers reached the last incline that would lead them to the entrance of the command centre. They paused at the foot of the rocky path, all staring up at the metal towers wondering what they would find inside.

Tommy gathered his courage and cleared his throat, "Come on guys," he started up the steep slope. The Rangers fed off the courage of their leader and followed after him without hesitation.

From the moment they stepped inside they could feel something was wrong. The lights overhead flickered casting long shadows against the walls. A stream of sparks rained down in front of the Rangers as they approached the doors to the command centre sanctum. Kim muffled the sound of her scream with her hands as Tommy jumped back just in time.

The doors in front of the Rangers were coated in a thick purple substance. After their fight with Ooze's children they had no doubt in their mind what it was. Emily felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she stared at the sticky mess – he couldn't possibly have gotten in, he just couldn't have.

"Oh no," Billy groaned as he took a step closer to touch the substance as though hoping that his eyes were deceiving him.

"Ooze," Adam said, his voice low as he stepped up beside Billy.

Tommy nodded, looking back at Kim, Aisha, Rocky and Emily. The four Rangers nodded solemnly and dropped down into a ready position as Tommy joined Billy and Adam at the door. "Let's get it open."

The door shrieked in protest as the boys tried to force it open. Their hands slipped and slid in the thick slime as they struggled to get a hold on the otherwise smooth surface. Aisha stepped forward and joined on Adam's side to help pry to door open, though even with her help the door proved to be almost immovable. Another spray of sparks rained down, eliciting another scream from Kimberley. Finally the gap between the two panels was large enough for the Rangers to enter, though at this point Emily couldn't say whether she really wanted to know what awaited them inside.

The command centre was utterly and completely destroyed. Parts of the walkway had fallen apart completely and the Rangers had to tread carefully to reach the central area. Wires dangled lifelessly from the ceiling, some spitting out sparks pitifully as the teenagers passed them. The large glass conductors had been completely destroyed, broken glass dusting everything within reach. There was almost no light left in the chamber, and despite the panic they could all feel escalating inside them the Rangers had to walk slowly, feeling their way through the treacherous maze of broken machinery and decay.

"Look at this place…" Tommy's disbelief was felt by everyone as they moved further and further in.

"Alpha?" Aisha called out hesitantly, her voice drowned out as a bundle of wires sputtered out the last of the electricity they held.

"I can't believe it," Adam gasped as the toe of his shoe dug into a pile of debris.

"How could this happen?" Emily's eyes roamed the wreckage, looking for anything that might have survived the onslaught that had occurred there. Rocky bent down and picked up the shattered end of a long glass tube, only to drop it with a curse as it burned him. "You okay?" she asked as he stood up, rubbing his fingers.

"Yeah, I think so."

The Rangers stood silent for a moment, trying to accept that all the destruction around them really had happened. Kim continued to move forward, her hands pressed tightly over her mouth and a look of horror in her wide eyes. "Oh no!" she surged forward, running along the catwalk headless of the debris around her.

"Kim!" Tommy yelled out as he and the other Rangers chased after her.

Kim fell to a stop as she hit the edge of the platform where Zordon's projection used to appear. A mountain of dully glowing white crystals leant enough light to make out the slumped body lying on top of it.

"Zordon!" Adam called as the realization hit the team.

"What's happening to him?" Aisha stared at the prone form of their mentor.

"Outside of his time warp," Billy could barely form sentences as the reality struck them all hard. "He's dying." He looked around frantically, "He needs power."

"Rangers." A strained voice whispered out from the body in front of them, the head turning just slightly as Zordon struggled to look at them. "Thank goodness you are safe." They had never heard Zordon sound so weak and defeated. To look at him now it was almost impossible to believe that this was the being that controlled unspeakable power – the one who had given all of them their powers.

"Come on. We've got to get you back inside," Tommy rasped, though it was clear that none of them knew how – or if – they could do anything for Zordon now. The Rangers looked at each other desperately, hoping that one of them would have an idea. Any idea.

"I'm afraid that is impossible." Zordon's breathing was heavy. Every word caused him great effort, and great pain. Emily felt her throat close and pressure build behind her eyes. She bit down hard on the emotion, forcing it down. Now was not the time. Zordon needed them. She felt hands from either side grip her own shaking hands. Looking up she saw Aisha on her left, her eyes over bright; Adam on her right staring straight ahead at the shadowy figure of their teacher.

"The power has been destroyed." The Rangers nodded – there was no denying it now, this was no small glitch in the system. Emily looked down towards the floor she couldn't see, unable to watch Zordon suffer like this. "The zords. The weapons. All of it." He struggled for breath, his throat working hard just to speak in fragments. "The Power Rangers are no more." His voice faded, replaced by wheezing sound as he tried to catch his breath. "Ivan Ooze has won," the Rangers leaned forward as Zordon's voice dropped to a level barely above a whisper.

"We're losing him," Billy's voice was tight.

Kim sobbed quietly into her hands. "Zordon, you can't leave us," she spoke, her voice thick with emotion, "Ever since you came into our lives, you've been like a father to us all." Tommy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight to his side as the tears she had been trying to hold back spilled over.

Zordon's head turned towards Kim slowly, "You must be strong." Zordon's head lolled back slowly as the sound of his ragged breathing weakened. The Rangers struggled for words as they all searched for something that might help Zordon.

Through the silence of the command centre came a trembling voice, "Rangers…"

"Alpha?" Tommy questioned as they spun towards the source. Up until now none of the Rangers had wanted to think about what must have become of the tiny robot. "Are you okay?" Tommy hurried to Alpha's side, carefully looking him over for signs of damage.

"I'll be fine," Alpha assured them quickly. "There may be a power that can save Zordon." The hesitant tone in Alpha's voice said more than he possibly could have.

"What power?" Adam asked quietly, looking over his shoulder to where Kim still stood beside the still shape of Zordon.

"It is on the distant planet of Phados. It's very dangerous," he cautioned. "All who have tried for it have perished."

Rocky shook his head at the warning. "We have to try, Alpha."

"Zordon would do it for us," Emily agreed.

"Zordon's life force will not last long. You won't have much time."

"How can we get it?" Tommy asked quickly – if what Alpha was saying was true they couldn't waste any time.

Alpha seemed to think for a moment. "Maybe if I can download the very last plasmatic morphing gem into the transport core, I might have just enough power to get you there." The robot moved with halting steps over to the broken command panel. "But…there won't be any left to get you back."

"So," Rocky stared at Alpha's back as the robot started to test the equipment to be sure it could handle the transport, "how do we get back?"

"We have to hope that the power is there," Kimberley hurried down from Zordon's platform to join the other Rangers. She had managed to stop crying, but tear tracks still smudged down her cheeks. "Zordon's life depends on it."

Alpha turned to survey the Rangers carefully, "Are you ready?"

Tommy met the determined looks in everyone's eyes and nodded. "Yeah." The Rangers fell back into the formation needed for Alpha to transport them. "We may not have our powers, but we're still the power Rangers," Tommy insisted.

"Remember Rangers, Zordon doesn't have much time," Alpha turned back toward the panel, keying in the sequence to transport them to Phados.

Emily felt a weak tingle in the extremities of her body as the transporter struggled to work. The feeling faded away quickly before they had even managed to leave the command centre. She looked at Aisha worriedly. Alpha looked at them over his shoulder before trying again. This time the tingle was stronger, though still not as strong as she was used to. She lost feeling in her arms and legs as she closed her eyes, willing the equipment to work. Finally she felt her feet leave the floor and she knew that they had left the command centre. She could only hope there would be enough power to make it to Phados.


	6. Strange New World

The Rangers touched down on the distant planet of Phados as seven colourful streaks of light. The sudden drop after such a long trip left Em with a deep rooted dizzy feeling. Slabs of rock shifted under her feet as she tried to reacquaint herself with a feeling of solidity again. The other six must have had similar feelings of lingering disorientation. It wasn't often they left the earth via transportation, but when they did it tended to take a harder toll on their bodies than simply transporting around the Earth.

Emily's ears buzzed as she tried to take in her surroundings. An ocean pummelled against the rocky face of the land they stood on, a sharp tang of salt water in the air. The sky a bleak grey, though there didn't seem to be any kind of clouds overhead. This planet felt different from home, and almost somehow sinister. As much as where they were could easily be mistaken for Earth, this was clearly not the world they had left behind.

The other Rangers had slowly started to move about and explore the area around them. The slabs of rock under their feet shifted, noisily clanking against each other. At least the ground was solid.

"My gosh," Kim gasped. "Look at this place."

From where they stood they could only see themselves surrounded by ocean and cliff face. The world felt barren as they looked around for any sign of life. "How are we supposed to find this power?" Emily asked aloud.

"We'll find it. We have to," Tommy said confidently. "Zordon's depending on us."

"Guys! Over here!" Aisha's voice rose over the sound of the rolling waves. She had wandered off further from the group than any of the others. All they could see of her was the back of her head and her bright white and yellow sweater. "Quick!" she insisted.

Immediately the teenagers were in motion, sensing danger. Aisha didn't look up as Adam lead the Rangers to her side. Emily stopped short, looking over Billy's shoulder to see what lay in front of them. A skeleton, picked clean of all flesh lay contorted among the rocks. The bones of its hands were curled into claws. A few small scraps of what might have once been armour lay across its chest, a rusted buckle gleamed in the half light.

"Looks like somebody had a bad day," Aisha murmured as Billy and Adam stooped down to examine the creature.

Adam reached one hand out hesitantly to touch the dark, smooth bone of what looked almost like horns. "What is it?"

"I think the question is, what was it?" Billy reached forward and gently picked up a leather strap of the thing's armour. The strap disintegrated in Billy's hand before he could get a proper look at it.

"What could have done this?" Emily asked. The bones, though bare, looked fairly new. The white sheen from the remains showed little signs of being weathered, and this close to the ocean it certainly wouldn't have taken long.

Kim leaned a little closer to the body, "Definitely not the welcoming committee, that's for sure." Long deep ruts could be seen in the bone upon closer inspection. Whatever had done this had been vicious in its kill.

Tommy straightened up from his crouch. "Come on guys. We've got a job to do," he said. The last thing they needed right now was to worry before they had even managed to start their journey, and he knew it. Emily nodded as he looked their way and straightened up as well, taking a step away from the creature. Maybe it was best if they never found out what had done this to it.

As they walked away from the body Emily couldn't help but look over her shoulder. The bones winked in and out of the rocky terrain as they moved further and further away. She couldn't help but wonder if it had come here searching for the Great Power as well. What kind of trials did Phados have in store for seekers of its treasure?

She stopped suddenly, noticing that Adam had paused a few metres back. "Adam?" she called out. His eyes scanned along the peaks of the cliff face, but he gave no indication that he had heard her. She closed the gap between them and put a hand on his arm to get his attention, "Adam, what's wrong?" Her eyes flicked up to the empty expanse of sky over the top of the cliffs.

"Hm?" he turned his head to face her, his dark eyes serious. "Oh. Uh, nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just thought…" he trailed off into silence.

"What?" Emily asked.

"Never mind," he offered a ghost of a smile. "Just, thought I felt something. It's nothing."

Emily searched again for anything suspicious but still saw nothing. "Must just have been a little freaked out by those bones," she dropped her hand from his arm as she turned to meet his eyes again. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

He nodded, "I know."

"Hey!" Rocky called out from where the other Rangers had stopped when they had noticed the two missing. "Come on, hurry up!" his voice echoed back off the cliff face and rocky shore, reverberating loudly.

The two teenagers gave each other one more look before they turned and hurried off to join up with everyone else. "Sorry," Adam apologized as they reached the group.

"It's okay," Tommy said, "Just, let's try to stick together, okay? We don't know what's out there."

Emily nodded. "Sorry. It won't happen again," she promised. Tommy nodded before turning and leading the group forward along a smooth patch of packed dirt.

"You two okay?" Rocky asked as Adam and Emily fell into step with him.

"Yeah, it was nothing," Adam murmured quietly, his dull eyes trained forward.

Rocky looked down at Em questioningly. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, not knowing what to say.

"If you're sure," Rocky's voice was full of doubt. The three fell into an uneasy silence as they followed Billy and Aisha over large flat stones, jumping the gaps from platform to platform.

The silence stretched over all seven teenagers as they followed Tommy's lead; the strange planet seemed to almost be working against them. After what felt like several hours of relentless exploration they hadn't even been able to break away from the ever present coastline. Ahead of them loomed another length of high cliffs. The group slowly came to a stop in the centre of rocky valley they found themselves stuck in.

"What do we do now?" Aisha asked. The ocean and cliffs kept them penned in on two sides, and they already knew that if they turned around and went back the way they had come they would find nothing but more rock and sea.

Billy spun a slow circle mentally mapping the landscape around them. "Well, given the present circumstances, it looks like there is only one option left to us," he pointed down the only unexplored open area. "We'll have to continue down that way."

The Rangers nodded in agreement, though inwardly they groaned: from the looks of it the only thing that awaited them down that path was more of what they had already encountered. Emily was beginning to wonder if this planet had any greenery to it, or was it all rocks and water?

Billy began to lead down the path when Tommy's voice carried over to them, "Hey guys, wait." They stopped and turned to face their leader who hadn't moved from the centre of the valley. Kim stood apart from everyone, her back to them as she faced out to sea. There was no mistaking the worry in Tommy's eyes as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Maybe we should rest for a bit," he said as the other teenagers walked back over to him.

"Are you sure?" Rocky asked.

"Shouldn't we keep going? We don't know how much time Zordon has," Aisha reminded him gently.

Tommy's eyes never left Kim, though he struggled with his decision. "Yeah, I'm sure," he finally spoke. "We can't do Zordon any good if we never reach the power. We need to be rested to face whatever this place has to throw at us." He finally broke his eyes away from his girlfriend long enough to find the worried looks on his teammates' faces.

"Tommy's right guys," Adam spoke up. "If we're tired we won't be at the top of our form." Tommy nodded thankfully before he turned and hurried over to Kim's side.

Emily watched apprehensively as Tommy spoke quietly to Kim. Even from here she could tell from the look on the other girl's face that something was very wrong. But then again they were all starting to feel the strain of their mission; she could see it on everyone's faces and feel it in herself. Maybe a break really was what they needed most right now.

"Think she's going to be okay?" Aisha asked.

"Yeah, of course," Em smiled, "She's got Tommy with her. He'll look after her."

Aisha smiled back, "Yeah, he will."

The two girls turned their backs on the couple to give them a little more privacy. They joined up with Billy, Rocky and Adam who had walked a little further up through the valley to find a spot wide enough for all five of them to sit down comfortably. They sat quietly, no one knowing what to say though they were all thinking the same thing. Rocky scooped a large flat rock out of the dirt next to him and pensively turned it over in his fingers. Adam's eyes were dull and distant as he started down at his restless fingers.

Aisha cleared her throat effectively breaking the uncomfortable situation that had threatened to take hold. "Where do you think this power is?" she asked to no one in particular.

Emily looked up questioningly, but she had no answer to give. By habit she turned to Billy for an answer – if anyone would have a guess, it would be him. Billy looked up from the map he had been meticulously drawing in the soft dirt to see both girls looking at him expectantly. "Well," he hesitated, looking back down at his map for a moment, "we know it can't be behind us. There was nothing but ocean that way. And from the looks everything down on this level, I wouldn't think it would be here either." He thought for a moment before he looked over his shoulder at the sheer wall of rock behind him. "My hypothesis is that to find the power we'll have to find a way onto the cliffs."

Rocky stopped twirling the rock in his fingers as he looked up at the imposing cliff face, "You think we have to go up there?" he asked Billy incredulously.

"Yes," Billy said, "but it's only a theory."

"How would we get up there?" Aisha asked. "There's no way we can climb it without any equipment."

"Where's an airplane when you need it?" Adam muttered. Rocky smirked over at him.

"Maybe we'll get lucky," Emily tried to be optimistic, the last thing they needed was to start doubting themselves before they had even tried, "Maybe we'll find a path up the cliffs over there," she gestured to the only path they hadn't travelled down.

"Maybe," Adam admitted, though he didn't sound too convinced.

"We'll find a way," she smiled. "We have to. It's our only way home."

"If there's still a home to go back to," Rocky muttered.

Aisha nodded, "Who knows what Ivan's doing now that we're gone?"

"Hey! C'mon guys," Em spoke up, "We can't think like that! When we get our powers back we'll send that slime ball packing."

Billy looked back at the four other teenagers in front of him, "Emily's right. If Ivan could be defeated once evidence serves that we can do it again."

"Yeah," Rocky tossed his stone away, "We'll find it. Even if we have to search every inch of this planet."

"Alpha wouldn't have sent us if he didn't think we could do it," Adam agreed with a small attempt at a smile. Emily returned his smile gratefully. It was good to see a spark of hope in everyone again.

"You know, maybe if-" Emily started to speak when a loud scream from Kim cut her off.


	7. Warrior

Kim's scream shocked the five teenagers onto their feet. A loud, feral shriek clashed against Kim's cry as a giant winged something dived at the couple standing apart from the group. Kim and Tommy barely ducked under the creature as more arrived, diving dangerously close to the other five rangers.

Aisha, Billy, Rocky, Em, and Adam managed to escape the pre-emptive attack, but only by seconds. If it hadn't been for Kim's cry, they may not have noticed in time.

"What are they?" Aisha yelled over the shrieks from their attacks.

"I dunno," Rocky jumped up to his feet, ready to face the creatures.

"They look like those things from the construction site!" Em yelled. They had the same dark purple colour bleeding throughout their bodies. They looked like some kind of giant bird, but the feeling that came from them was something the Rangers had only felt once before when they had met Ivan. A feeling of absolute, undeniable evil.

"You're right. They're probably more of Ivan's creatures!" Billy tried to make himself heard over the high pitched wail from the birds as they dived at the Rangers again, making them all scatter.

Tommy and Kim quickly jumped down from the small plateau they had been standing on and tried to join the other Rangers, but the birds were quick to intercede. None of the teenagers were able to get close to one another without having to dive out of harm's way quickly.

Em looked up in time to see one of the creatures dive down toward her, talons extended. She threw her arms up in front of her quickly, though only just in time. She cried out as razor sharp talons dug deep into her arms, but the creature couldn't get a good grip on her in its hurried attempt. It flew past her, knowing it had missed its opportunity. The deep cuts on her arms burned painfully, like nothing she had ever felt before. It was almost like the pure dark essence of the creatures spread into the wound.

"Take cover!" Tommy's voice rang out through the confusion as the rangers dived away from the birds as they unleashed another onslaught. Aisha and Rocky were able to take cover behind a large bolder just before one of the creatures swept past, its long, deadly talons scraped against the rock, leaving large jagged ruts in the surface.

Before anyone could regain their bearings another attack came from above. Adam and Billy turned just in time for the creatures to land devastating blows to their chests. Billy managed to evade the talons of the creature, but the sheer force of the attack knocked him sprawling onto the ground. Adam was not so lucky. He cried out as the creature's talons sliced through the fabric of his shirt and scored the skin underneath. He clutched at his chest as the wounds burned.

Emily turned at his shout, quickly looking for him. Already a dark red colour bloomed across the front of his white shirt. "Adam!" she cried out before one of the creatures' wings hit her with enough force to lift her off her feet and slam her onto the rocky ground. She felt the coarse gravel underneath her skin dig deeply into the wounds on her arms, the salt from the nearby ocean combined with the already burning pain of the cuts felt like fire inside her body. Before she could scramble to her feet the same creature that attacked her swept down on Adam and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. He cried out again as the talons dug deep into his skin. Effortlessly the bird lifted him off the ground as he struggled futilely underneath. "Adam!" Em cried out again as she started to run after the airborne struggle. She hadn't taken more than a few steps when another scream sounded out.

"Kim!" Tommy yelled, trying to break free of two of Ivan's warriors. Kim screamed as she too was lifted from the ground. Even from where she was Em could see the long, deep scratches in Kim's arms where the bird's talons had dug in. Kim's scream was half of fright, and half of pain as she trashed in the bird's grip.

The teenagers struggled against Ivan's creations as Adam and Kim were carried further from them, but the creatures were too strong. Rocky and Aisha were backed against a wall, only barely able to block the constant barrage of attacks. Billy was laid out on the ground, trying to dodge the vicious beak of his attacker while Tommy struggled against the three creatures surrounding him. Em tried to chase after the creatures, but in moments two more of the purple parasites had resumed their attack on her, and it was all she could do to fend them off, though she was quickly losing ground as they backed her towards the rocky drop of the ocean.

Kim's screams echoed back off the rock walls around them as the teenagers fought for their lives. Zordon's warning against Ivan's incredible power had certainly been true; Em couldn't help but wonder if this really was their last battle. How could they have come so far only to fail Zordon. Of all the ways they could have died it had to be here, on some foreign planet light-years away from home. It didn't seem right. How could it be, after all they had faced, that this was how everything was meant to end up?

Suddenly from the top of the highest cliff a figure holding a large staff appeared. It stood for only a moment, watching the scene below it. Then it jumped from the cliff face, its long green cloak flapping behind it like a pair of giant leathery wings. As soon as it touched ground the cloak fell away from the creature; it was a stunningly beautiful woman.

In a heartbeat the woman quickly turned to the creatures pinning down Billy and dispatched them with a solid blow from her staff. Another of the creatures leapt at her, but she easily caught it with another shattering blow as it flew toward her. She knocked down two more as they came at her from either side with a seemingly effortless spin of her heavy staff. The creatures lay at her feet, stunned.

She tore her staff in half, a savage glow in her eye. She spun the two halves of her staff at her sides. A sound unlike anything from Earth began to echo around the area, bouncing off the walls. But no, Em thought, it wasn't echoing from the walls, it felt as though it was coming from them. It was almost as if this woman with her staff was somehow commanding a force buried into the very fabric of the land itself.

The sound increased until it was at a frequency so high that the teenagers could feel it inside their bodies. Ivan's creatures spasmed and writhed, trying to evade the sound. The two creatures carrying Kim and Adam panicked, their talons letting go of their prisoners of their own accord. Kim dropped safely onto a small outcrop on the cliff face while Adam plunged down into a river feeding from the ocean. The rangers started to move to help their friends, but the sound was still rising in level and it was all they could do block out the sound as it forced its way inside them.

Ivan's warriors, unable to take the aural assault any longer began to scramble away from the teenagers and take flight. They flew out over the ocean in small pockets, their frantic shrieking fading. As the last beast took flight the mysterious woman abruptly stopped twirling the two pieces of staff she held, a triumphant look on her face as she watched the last creature disappear.

As soon as the sound stopped the rangers were on their feet, running to help Kim and Adam. Emily was the first to reach Adam. He had managed to pull himself from the river as she reached him.

"Adam! Adam, are you okay?" she asked as she carefully took his arm, helping him on to the shore. His clothes were dripping with the salt water from the river and the red stain across his shirt had spread. She looked at his shoulders where four deep punctures on either side oozed slowly.

"Yeah," he winced as wind passed over the burning wounds, "I think I'll be okay. Where's Kim?"

"She's fine," Rocky said as he jogged over to his best friend. "Tommy's with her now. It doesn't look like she's too badly injured right now."

"You sure you're okay?" Em asked as Rocky helped Adam slowly to his feet. Rocky ducked under one of Adam's arms carefully to help support his friend.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Adam hissed a breath through his teeth as his shoulder moved so he could lean on Rocky. "What were those things anyway?"

"Dunno," Em shook her head.

"Whatever they were, they were trouble," Rocky said.

"No kidding," Adam agreed, putting on a brave face as the three started to slowly move back into the clearing where the rest of the Rangers were approaching the strange woman. No one spoke as the woman went about reattaching the two pieces of her staff. Rocky helped Adam down onto a flat piece of rock where he could catch his breath. Tommy had already done the same with Kimberly.

No one wanted to be the first to speak to the stranger. Even Tommy seemed hesitant. They couldn't be sure she was an ally of theirs and given what they had just seen, they certainly didn't want to start a fight with her for any reason.

Rocky, curious as ever, stepped forward to the woman. "That was amazing." The woman didn't seem interested in his praise; she didn't even turn to acknowledge his presence. Hesitantly Rocky reached out a hand "Thanks."

The woman turned quickly, slapping her staff hard into Rocky's arm. The teenager immediately backed away as she began to speak in a steely voice. "If you want to thank me, go back to wherever it is you came from."

The Rangers stood in confused silence. The woman's angry gaze fell upon all of them, like she was trying to frighten them away. When her eyes fell on Em the girl quickly looked down, unable to meet such intensity. Just who was this woman?

"But we can't go back," Aisha mumbled when the woman's eyes turned to her.

"We heard there is a great power here," Billy spoke up, trying his best to be diplomatic. "Is it true?"

"Yes," the woman seemed frustrated with them for even asking. "The ground is littered with the bones of those who have tried for it and failed."

The memory of the skeleton from the beach, picked clean and gleaming in the half light, flashed back into Em's mind. It couldn't have been Ivan's creatures that had killed it, but then what had? Had some guardian of the power came for it? Perhaps that's what this woman was here to do. But then, why hadn't she tried to attack them yet?

Tommy stepped forward, a determined gleam in his eye. "Well we're different," he swore. "We won't fail."

The woman swept his feet out from under him so fast it almost seemed like Tommy hadn't even finished speaking yet. She drove her staff into his chest hard, pressing the air from his lungs as a savage look overcame her face. She was every inch the powerful being that Em was quickly starting to fear she was.

Aisha and Rocky surged forward to help their fallen leader, only to stop short when the woman's eyes snapped up to them, her staff digging deeper into Tommy's chest.

"Leave Phados," she spat. "Before it's too late."

"Look," Aisha threw her hands up to show she meant no harm, "we don't want any trouble. Our leader Zordon got hur-"

"Zordon!" The woman's staff dug into Tommy's chest before she realized what she was doing. She quickly eased up a little on the boy as she looked quizzically at the other six. "D-did you say Zordon?"

"Yeah," Em said, trying to take advantage of the woman's distraction. "He sent us," she said before realizing the lie in what she just said, "Well, technically not Zordon but –"

"Do you know Zordon?" Kim cut her off. "Who are you?"

The woman stared at the teenagers for a moment before grudgingly she let Tommy get to his feet. "I am Dulcea. Master warrior of the planet Phados," she surveyed the teenagers sceptically. "What has happened to Zordon?"

"He was attacked by this cosmic being known as Ivan Ooze," Rocky said.

"Ivan Ooze is free?" Dulsea asked, horrified.

Billy looked at the others for a moment. "You've heard of him?" he asked.

"Ivan Ooze is a monster." Dulsea fell back into silence thinking for a moment.

"If we don't find the power here, Zordon won't survive," Kim quickly implored Dulsea. The warrior's head snapped up. She stared at Kim, trying to decide whether to believe her or not.

"It's true," Adam piped up. "It's our only hope."

"Can you help us?" Em asked. If this woman knew Zordon, she had to know what a force for all things good he was. She had to help.

Dulsea thought for a moment longer before finally she spoke. "If we don't hurry you're planet is doomed," she admitted. Dulsea started to walk away without waiting to see if they were following her. Tommy quickly helped Kim to her feet; she leaned heavily against him as they started after her. Adam managed to get to his feet on his own, though he was still very shaky.

"Here, let me help," Rocky said, moving to help his friend.

"No," Adam held up a hand. "I think I've got it." He stood still for a moment before nodding. "I'm alright."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Em warned him.

Adam offered a sarcastic smile, "Do I ever?"

She shook her head, "All the time."

"Well then, I should be used to it. C'mon. They're getting away."

Rocky, Adam and Em hurried after the other Rangers and their strange new ally.


End file.
